Any pandemic has doctors at the epicentre constantly working towards administering cure and care for the patients. If the past illnesses of our family, friends or ourselves hasn’t shown us why doctors are important to the society, then this pandemic should be a monumental instance of necessity for able doctors, not just for treating patients in the hospitals and clinics but also for framing policies for managing crises.

What Doctors faced during the pandemic?

The pandemic that hit the world in 2020 saw doctors working constantly, without going home, taking a few hours break to rejuvenate their tired bodies and jump back to care. As the second and third waves hit country after country, students in final year of the medical programme, and newly inducted doctors working at their residency were also asked to join forces to fight the pandemic. Since it first occurred, India has had 18.4 million cases and there have been 150 million cases worldwide. the recovery in India has been 15.1 million cases and worldwide the recovery was 86.9 million. 734 doctors have died from Covid in India as of February 2021 and the number of infected are much more. The dedication of doctors cannot be questioned even on the face of such dire numbers as they continue their battle for saving people’s lives during the pandemic.

Roles Doctors Play

The primary role of diagnosing patients and administering cure by doctors is known by all. However, doctors have even worked behind these primary caregivers to help governments design policies in different areas such as caring for new mothers and their new-borns in hospitals to protect them from getting infected or if they are infected how best to treat them. They have been instrumental in guiding government administrators procure ventilators, oxygen tanks and even create quarantine zones with extra beds for incoming patients. Irrespective of what their specialisation has been, doctors have been instrumental in treating their patients and protecting them from getting infected. The decision to postpones surgeries or not give consultation to OPD patients first-hand could not be simple. Yet, doctors have worked hard to give virtual or telephonic diagnosis to patients and adapted themselves to the circumstances, ensuring that no patient was left behind.

Value of Medical education

Medical practitioners have the potential to contain and eradicate diseases. They understand the nature of any new bacteria, virus and disease nature throws at us and how we can fight it. The world needs more doctors, qualified from good institutions and capable of applying their knowledge. The next best doctor who has great potential may not be from an affluent background, but someone who is waiting to be given the opportunity to show their skills. Often, individuals who have struggled to attain their goals are the ones with great empathy, which is a highly essential quality for doctors.

A good doctor is not someone who simply has a high IQ, but someone who has strong EQ to understand their responsibility and provide a nurturing touch.

As individuals of means and experience we all must support such individuals of great character and talent to pursue their dream to become doctors for our own good and the greater good of the society.